Field Gates

[Drum]

I have always padlocked my horses field gate as it leads onto a main road and I worry that someone might let my horses out if I didn't. I was told that its illegal for me to do this in Scotland because of the right to roam/access stuff. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[tikino]

im in scotland and padlock my gates never been told i is illegal plus if people want to go through the feild they just need to climb the gate

 

[equity]

I don't know, but I paddlock my gates. My horses saftey comes first and I will continue to lock gates wether its legal or not!!
P.S I also use elec rope and a sign that says some horses kick or bite. So if someone wants to take a chance they can climb the gate.

 

[nicnag]

We padlock all our gates at work for exactly the same reason, nobody has ever said that it's illegal. In fact ours have 2 locks, one at either end to avoid the chance of someone taking the gates off their hinges. I do have a friend who owned a yard where the locals walked their dogs through her fields, they started cutting the padlocks on the gates but when the riders from the yard starting taking the horses through the gates the walkers put new locks on them to stop them?!

 

[PeterNatt]

Please ensure that the top hinges on your gates are reversed on your gates so that the gate can not simply be lifted off the hinges.

 

[stencilface]

Two gates on the track up the field/stables are locked (one at each end). Both gates also have their hinges reversed too

 

[RachelB]

We have three gates padlocked as they all open onto public access (one onto the cricket ground car park, and two either side of a footpath). It REALLY bugs me when people walk up our driveway to the stables when the gates are open, and it bugs me even more when they climb the gates! Stupid thing is, the driveway runs parallel to a large public recreation ground so they could easily walk to the gate onto the rec, walk across the public land, and come out at the other end of our driveway. As there is so much public access to our fields/stables, we would never risk leaving the gates unlocked. I've never heard it to be illegal (wherever in the country) and TBH if it is, and people want to walk down our driveway without climbing the gates, then they will just have to persuade the rest of the world to develop consciences and morals and not steal our horses/belongings. Seeing as that will never happen, they can *** off!!

 

[eriskaypony]

[ QUOTE ]
I have always padlocked my horses field gate as it leads onto a main road and I worry that someone might let my horses out if I didn't. I was told that its illegal for me to do this in Scotland because of the right to roam/access stuff. Does anyone know if this is true?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are quite at liberty to lock gates if it is reasonable to do so. The quote below is an extract from the Access Code.

[ QUOTE ]
For example, good reasons to lock a gate might be where it is important to prevent the movement of farm animals from one field into another field of farm animals or directly onto a public road, or where the local authority agrees that there is a problem with unauthorised motorised access.

[/ QUOTE ]

Page 33 if you want to look it up.

http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/upload/ApprovedCodeindex06Sept04.pdf

 

[eriskaypony]

[ QUOTE ]
We have three gates padlocked as they all open onto public access (one onto the cricket ground car park, and two either side of a footpath). It REALLY bugs me when people walk up our driveway to the stables when the gates are open, and it bugs me even more when they climb the gates! Stupid thing is, the driveway runs parallel to a large public recreation ground so they could easily walk to the gate onto the rec, walk across the public land, and come out at the other end of our driveway. As there is so much public access to our fields/stables, we would never risk leaving the gates unlocked. I've never heard it to be illegal (wherever in the country) and TBH if it is, and people want to walk down our driveway without climbing the gates, then they will just have to persuade the rest of the world to develop consciences and morals and not steal our horses/belongings. Seeing as that will never happen, they can *** off!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you in Scotland? Not that it matters really but we have a huge amount of trouble with people who do not seem to understand that access rights do not apply to the 'houses, gardens, non-residential buildings and associated land'.